LastMezger

Loose weight to make RS' weight savings count...makes sense.

My plan though was to get an RS so that I DON'T have to loose weight;-)

w00tPORSCHE

Hi to all. Quick one month update.

Positives:

1. My weight down from 198 lbs to 190 lbs. Excercise 5 days of week, includes 30 minutes of weights and 35 minutes of elliptical (35 minutes of GT3RS footage from youtube on IPad during this excercise).

2. The '76 coupe (which is my RS training wheels see picture attached)drives so different from my stock '86 coupe. I started working on my smoothness of operation on the weekends (one hour session). This car has a very short gearing and much different clutch and shifter set up. Took some winding B roads, windows partially let down with my good friend a fellow RL'er by my side (he is an excellent driver and has done several DE event in B class)> Listening to that engine and air intake purr was just divine. The steering and suspension set up works brilliantly and gives you tons of feedback. The clutch is nothing short of amazing when you get it right and gives you the ultimate control.

Setbacks:

1. Annual India trip coming up to visit family. Great Indian food and all the pampering may set me back by 5 lbs but I am determined this time.
2. My first DE event at the Ridge motorsports park may be a non-starter as my colleagues have other important engagements and I will have to oblige them and cover hospital call. I am hoping to get at least half a dozen DE events under my belt this year.

Distractions:

1. Sunset Porsche (I know the sales manager well and he is a great guy. I ordered my Cayenne through them. ) and Fremont have a RS and are interested in dealing for the RS with my C4S trade in.
( Fremont Porsche called me last week stating that their RS had zero track miles and that it is in perfect shape for me to start tracking). I recently serviced my Cayenne there w/ Gunther who is a great service manager and at that time I told them I was in the market for a grey black w/ red accent RS) .

Plus trakcar's ex-RS is on sale at RL ... Geez. Focus w00t ... Focus.

tcsracing1

TRAKCAR's RS has your name all over it once it hits the market....

Mike in CA

Amar, congrats on the weight loss. Sounds to me, though, like you are talking yourself into in an RS much sooner rather than later. What happened to the 3 year plan, the 30 track days, not to mention the new race car? Focus indeed, my friend.....

TRAKCAR

Don't wate time.
Get RS now.

w00tPORSCHE

Mike trust me it is hard to resist. You did read my mind. Yes focus now is crucial and will pay rich dividends for my long term enjoyment of my eventual RS. I do think about the advantages of waiting for three years.

1. I will become a better driver before I get to handle this razor sharp surgical instrument.
2. The prices of the RS will come down by at probably 25K when the 991 RS comes out. Money that I can use for DE related costs like track insurance, track fee, coaching, tires and oil changes every three track days etc. You got to remember that I have high overhead as it is with a
C4S, Cayenne and a 3.2 to maintain especially given the miles I put on them every month.

When I will be in the market, I will not be looking for a garage queen RS. I will be looking for a RL'ers RS that will by then have 30K or more track miles and the market for those cars out of warranty cannot be that widespread at that cost of admission. I also keep thinking about a rennlisters peach Boxtser spyder, or a rare 356 or a early longhood 911S for my collection and hopefully the RS itch still lives with me these three years. Yes If I don't like to track (which I will find out soon when I take my track car whenever I do) then the RS may not be a car for me but I can't imagine myself not liking a track. I love cars that have a visceral, raw and connected feel and a recent ride when my friend drove his RS pretty much did it for me.

I am curious though as to why no one in the RS section feels that waiting for getting into the RS until I become a better driver with the proper skills is a good idea.

w00tPORSCHE

Peter, I closely follow your posts and am a big fan of yours. Why do you say that ? I don't think learning proper high performance through PCA events driving in a older 911 with 260 hp (rather than 450) built with endurance, safety and performance in mind (yet with no electronic aids)is a bad idea for a novice like me before getting into a RS. Wouldnt you think that this would enhance the RS experience ?

TRAKCAR

Difficult cars don't make you a better driver, good cars just hide bad driving better.

Unless you enjoy the process of first experiencing lesser cars you might as well get an RS now and skip a few steps and save money. I wish I had started with a GT3 in 04.

Just get a coach as soon as you are signed off solo.
You can just get a 07RS now..

It's not a bad idea, I just don't think there is much use for learning on an old bike.
If you apply only half throttle they only make 207.5HP ;-)

Just my 0.02c but I like to have one do it all car and an RS is it.
You prefer owning a few cars that are all fun.


Except right now I don't have any car and I'm driving the dually lol.

aussie jimmy

woot - rs is trendy right now. if you want one, don't hesitate as they sell pretty quick. otherwise, don't look until you are ready to commit.

TRAKCAR

Yeah, you can always get an RS when you gain weight later

orthojoe

It's almost June and you haven't done a single DE yet? 6 DEs before the end of the year is going to take more effort on your part, especially if you live in Washington. You've already got what looks to be an excellent specimen for a track car, even though one could easily argue it's already total overkill if you haven't done a single DE yet, let alone jumping to an RS. Who knows, you might find DEs are not fun (highly unlikely). The point is, get your feet wet with whatever you have and go from there. You'll learn for yourself what is the best thing for YOU.

For someone that's never done a DE, jumping straight into an RS is not the best way to go, IMO. I honestly think that the learning curve is faster if you start in a slower car, so you have time to digest the information overload and learn how to control the car at the limits at a slower pace. Don't worry about getting an RS right now. Just worry about getting to the track.

By that logic, wouldn't that make the GTR a better car? Heresy, I know. Knowing how to drive a less capable car first will allow you to take better advantage of a more capable car. Case in point: A good friend of mine has a 1993 BMW 318ti (albeit modified). Not the fastest car by any stretch of the imagination, but he's learned how to control the car at the limits and can actually keep up with guys in GT3s, who are always scratching their heads wondering how he's keeping up (obviously the GT3 drivers are likely not driving at the limit). My friend with the 318ti gets the opportunity to drive a friend's GTR. He's never driven in a car anywhere near as fast as a GTR. The first lap he matches the GTR owner's best time, and by the 5th lap is 5 seconds faster than the GTR driver's best time (he dropped one second each lap before he ran out of time, and I know for sure he would have dropped much more time if he had more time). The GTR owner has owned the car for almost 3 years, and the GTR is his first and only track car for the past 3 years. The GTR friend has not progressed because the car is too fast/capable, IMO.

TRAKCAR

No, by that logic it would not. A GTR is a terrible beginners car and also good at hiding bad driving but in a different way.
Even so, the GTR is limited due to it's gross overweight and even with all its electronic a good driver will adapt and drive around its' problems.

Your friend in his 318 would have found the speed in a GT3 or any car with good driving dynamics that does not rely on computers. Capability has nothing to do with it. Any old Porsche, BMW, etc. would do fine to learn. It's not that you need an RS to learn, not at all. But why not start with the best tool for the hobby?

Your other GTR friend sure has the car to keep you from learning and i would never suggest someone starting out with a car that does it for you. Pointless.

The issue I think is that people state that if you get a very capable car your beginner mistakes could have bigger bad results. An RS will be able to get up to some fast and dangerous speeds quickly and I understand that point. With good instructors you should be safe and get a coach to teach you right and keep you out of the wall.

No DE's yet?! OK, I missed that, if you love the cars you have now (And you should)get some track days under your belt with the cars you have. Hell the Cayenne would do for the first track weekend.

You might find out that it is not for you. But after you find out that DE IS something you will be doing, then buy the RS. And create a slush fund and sell all other toys, because this will get expensive ;-)

orthojoe

agree with everything you said, 100%

orthojoe

Whoops, not 100%. This is the only point I would argue against. Just like any hobby there are 'starter' tools/kits/etc. Many people mistakenly go out and buy the best and most expensive before they really even get into the hobby. Then they go out with their fancy skiis, bike, car, whatever, and look like an absolute idiot out there because they have no idea what they are doing. They quickly give up and move on to something else. My advice: Don't look like an idiot. I speak from experience, by the way.... (on looking like an idiot)

Nick Wong

The best tool for an advanced participant may not be the best tool for a beginner. I think that's what orthojoe is saying, and from my experience I would have to agree- how I set up my car should NOT be how a beginner does it, if I were more advanced I would set it up even looser...